Page "Qin Dynasty" Paragraph 26

The Qin government was highly bureaucratic, and was administered by a hierarchy of officials, all serving the First Emperor.

The Qin put into practice the teachings of Han Fei, allowing the First Emperor to control all of his territories, including those recently conquered.

All aspects of life were standardized, from measurements and language to more practical details, such as the length of chariot axles.

Zheng and his advisers also introduced new laws and practices that ended feudalism in China, replacing it with a centralized, bureaucratic government.

Under this system, both the military and government thrived, as talented individuals could be more easily identified in the transformed society.

Later Chinese dynasties emulated the Qin government for its efficiency, despite its being condemned by Confucian philosophy.

Such a system, however, could be manipulated by power-hungry individuals ; one example of such an occurrence was documented in the " Records of Officialdom ".

A commander named Hu ordered his men to attack peasants, in an attempt to increase the number of " bandits " he had killed ; his superiors, likely eager to inflate their records as well, allowed this.